Wednesday, 10 March 2010

Women and the recession

It's the first day of the Women's TUC conference today in Eastbourne, and to coincide, the TUC has published statistics showing that women workers would be hardest hit by public service cuts.

67% of public sector workers are women, and of part-time workers in the civil service, 87% are women. These statistics highlight the better flexibility in the public sector, which allows workers with childcare and other caring commitments, still mostly women, to work flexitime or part-time.

With all parties threatening massive public sector job cuts, it is clear that women workers would be hardest hit. Download the full TUC report.

But there's also another reason why women are more likely to be hostile to public sector and welfare cuts - they are the main service users. There are more women pensioners, more women in poverty due to unequal pay, and the disproportionate caring responsibilities they have bring them into closer contact with health and education services too.